(Another) Advice Thread

I'm a bit late to the game here- I went through MS1- half way through MS3 wanting to do general surgery. Now, I finished my surgery rotation 1 month ago and found myself really disliking general surgery. Some of the operations are cool but most of the day is floorwork and social work. I spent two weeks on the orthopaedics service and loved it.

So what are my chances/ what should I do to increase my chances. I have a meeting with my school's PD tomorrow, but in the mean time, any advice would be appreciated.

Step 1: 245
Step 2: Pending
Clinical grades: Honors in IM, Peds, OBGYN, Fam Med, and Surgery.
AOA: Pending, likely eligible.
Research: 2 first author pubs (GS), 1 textbook chapter 2nd author pub (GS), two podium
Presentations at major conferences (GS).

Hey man, I think you're in pretty good shape. Your stats sound similar to mine, and I matched at my first choice. Keep up the good work in school and take call with the ortho residents whenever you get a chance. Get to know everyone, be a generally good person, and I think you're golden. Don't get complacent, keep doing whatever you can to add to your resume, and good luck!

Thanks for the advice and encouragement! I'm very new to this process- do you have any general advice (what kind of programs to look for, good online resources, etc.)?

As far as what kind of program to look for--its up to you. If you like research, there are programs that are more research heavy. If you are just interested in operating and becoming a great surgeon, there are programs that are more tailored to that as well. The best way to experience these first hand is through your away rotations. I really liked one of my away rotations and really did not like one of the places I rotated at. I'm glad I got to experience both. Just make sure to show up early and work hard every day no matter what. As far as online resources, orthobullets is a great resource for learning about cases before you go into the OR. I also would recommend buying 2 books--Netters Concise Orthopedic Anatomy and Handbook of Fractures. They were both recommended to me by residents when I was a third year, and I have continued to find them to be excellent resources.